Bacolod OKs half-rice policy

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – An ordinance requiring restaurants and similar  establishments to serve half a cup of rice was approved by the city council here last Wednesday.

Authored by Councilor El Cid Familiaran, the ordinance was meant to avoid or reduce rice wastage. The policy was prompted by a report from the International Rice Research Institute that some P23 million worth of rice goes to waste every day or about P8 billion a year.

Violators of the ordinance face a fine of P1,000 for the first offense,  and P2,000 and P3,000 for the second and third offense, respectively.

The fine for successive offenses is P4,000.